Hikers arranged to climb a mountain for an adventure but accidentally got lost in the mountains. Luohu police conducted a six-hour search and successfully rescued the lost hikers early yesterday morning.
At around 9:00 PM on September 20, the Donghu Police Station received a report that hikers were lost at Haohanpo on Wutong Mountain. Upon inquiry, the caller “Heping” (a pseudonym) had arranged an adventure trip to Wutong Mountain online with two other hikers. That morning, the three hikers started climbing from Hengpailing Reservoir along a small path. At noon, the trio had lunch by a stream in the mountains. One of the hikers, nicknamed “Big Tree” (a pseudonym), drank half a jin (about 250 grams) of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) and wanted to rest for a while. He asked the other two to take his backpack, which contained his mobile phone and flashlight, and continue up the mountain while he would catch up later. So, “Heping” and another hiker went ahead. Around 6:00 PM that day, the two reached the mountaintop and waited for two hours, but “Big Tree” still hadn’t shown up. They then started searching in the direction of Haohanpo. However, upon reaching Haohanpo, they still couldn’t find “Big Tree,” so they called the police for help.
Liang Yinlian, the community team leader of the Donghu Police Station, led a team of 20 officers who split into two groups to launch a rescue mission on Wutong Mountain. One group searched along the hiking trail from Haohanpo, while the other group, guided by “Heping,” followed the path they had taken earlier. A command post was set up at Haohanpo, and both teams were instructed to report back every 10 minutes via walkie-talkie. The search teams faced numerous challenges including rugged mountain paths, poor visibility at night, dense mountain vegetation, weak light penetration, intermittent mobile phone signals, and frequent encounters with venomous snakes. After six hours of relentless effort, the officers finally found the trapped hiker near Taohua Stream.
It is reported that during the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, the Donghu Police Station has successfully assisted three groups totaling 10 lost individuals on Wutong Mountain. Here, the police remind the public to strictly follow the warning signs and safety regulations of scenic areas, remember the designated walking routes, avoid taking unprotected trails for exploration, try to hike with companions, and carry essential emergency supplies such as water, flashlights, food, and medicine.